Cotton chopper



o. PULLEN 2,120,867

COTTON CHOPPER June14,l938.

Filed June 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l mm m w \m w W ,NRMIU m 1N5 m mK Patented June 14, 1938. l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oo'r'roN onorrnn Ovid Pullen, Harmony, N. G. l I Application June is, 1931', Serial No. 148,995

4 Claims. (o1. 97-18) The device forming the subject matter is a cot- I of a disk I I provided on its periphery with an ton chopper, and one' object of the invention is to outwardly extended arm l2 shown in Fig. '1. As improve the means whereby the chopping instruseen in Fig. 3, the disk H is provided on. its pe-' mentalities are raised and lowered. Another obriphery with an annular outstanding flange l4.

ject of the invention is to improve the soil-en- Aring l5 surrounds the disk ll and abuts lateralgaging elements, considered relatively to other 1y against the flange 14. 'The ring I5 has cam parts of the machine. A further object of the notches H5 in its edge (Fig. 1). There may be invention is to make the device readily adaptable more or less of these cam notches, and a ring 15 V to different chopping distances considered horihaving a given number of notches may be rem" zontally. Another object of'the invention is to placed by another ring having more e construct the device in such a way that the fernotches. The ring [5 has a slot I! that receives ti willnot be dug t of th the arm 12 on the disk ll. Lateral projections It is within the province of the disclosure to or rollers I8 are journaled on the ring l5 and improve generally and to enhance the utility of are disposed adjacent to the Cam notches I6. 88-

: devices of that type to which the present invencuring elements l9, seated p y in e periphery 15 tion appertains. of the disk II and partly in the ring [5 (Fig. With the above and other objects in View, which 1) held the Iihg in abutment With the fla will appear as the description proceeds, the in- M, against lat l displacement.

vention resides in the combination and arrange-' Should it be desired to p ace O e ring I5 by .ment of parts and in the details of construction another rin av n m r r l of he cam 2'0 hereinafter described and claimed; it being undr-. notches l6, th s u i ts l9 may be r stood that changes in the precise embodiment of moved, the Tin'g be s d dew Ofi the the invention herein disclosed, may be made'withdisk When this is done, the slot l in the in the scope of what is claimed, without departring no longer is up by e a m l o ing from the spirit of .the inven'tion. the disk H and the ring p y y be pp 2'5 In the accompanying drawi down and removed, the unoccupied slot VI! in the Fig. 1 shows in longitudinal section, a device ring affording a spa t rou h w ich the axle constructed in .accoidancewith the invention, 5 can p 1 most parts bein in el ati The numeral marks a yoke which, as shown 301 Fig. 2 is a top 1an;'- in Fig. 5, is U-shaped in top plan. The side arms a Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-'-3 of Of the yoke 20 have y or b ar 2| which Fig. can turn on the hub ID of the disk II. The yoke Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig; 1; 20, therefore. can have a up and ow sw ngin Fig, 51$ a sectio Qn t,he1ine 5 5 of 1; movement. A connection 22, in the form-of a Fig. 6. is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1;, extends w rdly Within the y 35 Eig elevation certain of the The lOWEI' Of the Connection is soil-engaging elements and the means whereby connected at 89 With the side plates of the yoke' they are adjusted and controlled; 20. At its upper end, the connection 22 has a fork Fig 8 is n n he f F 23. The fork 23 has forwardly extended depend- Fig. 9 is afragmental vertical section showing lug Side flanges There are longitudinally 40 a Slight m dfficafion I spaced openings 25 in the side flanges 24.

In r n ou the v n on h e i provided The numeral 28 designates a shoulde mema, f hl hich is U-shaped intopplan, as Fig; her which is approximately triangular in. side 2 Will Show: At its forward end, the frame I i elevation (Fig. 1) and U-shaped as to plan (Fig.

' supplied withdra'ft means loo, Th f 5). The shoulder member 26 receives the con- 45 the frame I are joined by a forward arch 2, an hectlon Z2 and is pivoted at its ppe end to intermediate bra es and a;- b 4 the connection, as shown at 21. A set screw wardly inclined and rearwardlyextended handles. or adjustab e p 23 is ded i to the rear 5 are secured to the side arms of the frame l. portion of the shoulder member 26 and bears An axle 6 (Fig. 3) is journaled in bearings 3 against the rear edge of the connection 22, as 50 carried by the side arms of the frame I Grou n d shown in Fig. 5. The lower edge of the shoulwheels 1 are secured to the ends of the axle 6, der member 26 lies in the path of the roller prooutwardly of the side arms of the frame L; The jections IS on the ring l5 which is attached to axle e hasa squared intermediate portion 9, upon: the axle 6, by the disk H and the squared porwhich is held against relative rotation, the hub, tion 9 of the axle. I 55 forward arch 2.

- adapted to enter the notches it of the ring, the

lever 29 is made vertically resilient, in order to avoid the fine machine work necessary for a proper timing. Intermediate its ends, the lever 29 is provided with a depending portion 32, received between the side flanges 24 of the'fork 23 on the upper end of the connection 22am provided with a plurality of openings. 33. -In any selected ones of theopenings 33 and of the openings 25 of the connection 23, a pivot element 34 isimounted. The connection 23, therefore, is pivotally connected with the lever 20 intermediate its ends, and behind the fulcrum 39 of'the lever.

In its rear end, the lever 29 has an elongated slot' 35, receiving a cross pin 36 in a vertically movable standard 37, mounted to slide in the crown of an arch 38 formed integrally with the intermediate brace .3. A foot 39 is secured to the lower end of the standard 3'5, The foot 39 carries a cross pin 4B, mounted to move in vertical slots formed in the side portions of the arch 38. A-compression spring 42 surrounds a portion of the standard 31. The upper end of the compression spring 42 abuts against the crown of the arch 38, as shown in Fig. l, the lower end of the spring abutting against the foot 39 on the standard 31. A share 43 is securedto the foot'39 of the standard 31. p

A cross head 44 is secured at 545 (Fig. 4) to the lower end of the arch 38. Rearwardly extended and outwardly diverging beams 45 are pivoted at 46 to the ends of the cross head 44 for vertical swinging movement. .The beams 45 have depending ends 4'5 connected by pivot elements 49"to soil-engaging shoes 48. V The beams 45 are connected by the'pivot elements '49 to the lower ends of an inverted U-shaped retaining baror yoke 58. The retaining bar 50 has seats 52 in its rear edge, the uppermost of which is adapted to engage a cross rod 53 connecting the side'portions of the frame I, the construction being such that the beams 45 are held down in the horizontal position of Fig. 1. A handled latch 54 is pivoted at 5!, to the intermediate portion of the upper end of the retaining bar 50 and has a rack 55 which engages a rod 56 extended between the handles 5, the latch aiding in holding down the retaining bar 5|] and the beams 45..

'Soil-engaging elements Bl, such as bullpoints are secured to the beams 45. Short shafts 58 are journaled in the cross head 44 and in the shafts 58, goose necks 69 are secured by set screws til. Forward soil-engaging elements 62 are secured to the lower ends of the goose necks 6G. versal joints 63 to vertical shafts E i journaled in the intermediate brace 3 and in brackets 65 that extend downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, from the brace 3. On their upperends, the shafts 54 are supplied with crank arms 66. To the crank arms E56 are pivoted connections 6?, pivotally connected at their rear ends to de- The short shafts 53 are connected by unipending fingers B8 on grips 69, the grips being pivoted at 10' to the plow handles 5 and being located below the fixed grips H of the plow handles 5.

In practical operation, the wheels I are rotated by contact with the ground and rotation is imparted to the axle 6, to the disk H and to the ring it? which is secured to the disk. The roller 3| on the lever 29 rides on the periphery of the ring l5 and holds down the standard 31, so that the share 43 may cooperate with the soil. When the ring I5 is. rotated, along with the disk H, the roller projections l8 on the ring :5 engage the under edges of the shoulder member 26 and carry the shoulder member 25 upwardly, along with the connection 22 and the yoke 20, the roller 3| on the lever 29 entering "the corresponding notch H5 in the ring I5, the

lever 29 being tilted upwardly at its rear end, and the standard 3'! and the share 43 being raisedjthe share, in this'way, 'being causedto clear the soil at intervals,so as to skip portions o f the'sta'nding plants. 'When the roller projections I8 on" the ring 15 clear the shoulder member 26' on the connection. 22, the parts are restored to "the position of Fig. 1, under the action of the spring 42.

The operator, holding the grips ll of the plow handles'5, may lay hold'the grips 69 and tilt them on their fulcra llkthe connections 6'! cooperating withthe arms econ the upper ends of the shafts 64 to rotate those shafts and the short shafts 5B, the forwardsoil-engaging elements 52 thereby being shifted in and out with respect to the plants, so. as to cast the soil properly toward the plants. Coiled springs 12, engaged with the brackets 65 and with the shafts t4 tend to return the shafts 64 and the forward soil-engaging elements 62 to normal position' and through spacers 202, mounted on the securing elements Zlll and located between the soilengaging elements 200 and 43a. The soil-engaging element 200is useful when it is desired to chop backa little further than can be done by the use of the soilengaging element 43a alone. The backspacing mechanism shown at Fig. 9 is a useful but not absolutely necessary adjunct to the machine; H r V Havingthus described the invention, what is claimedisz- V V V j V 1. A cotton chopper comprising a frame, an

axlejournaled on the frame; a ground wheel se' cured to theaxle, a rotatable member secured to the axle and having cam notches in its periphery, the rotatablamember being supplied withprojections, a yoke mounted .to' swing vertically with respect to the, axle, a lever,.a fulcrum carrying theleverintermediate its ends on the frame for vertical swinging moyemena the lever being provided at'its forward end with a part which rides on the peripheryof the rotatable member and enters the cam notches, a connection having its upper end pivoted to the leverto the rear of the fulcrum havihgits lower end pivoted to the yoke, a shoulder piece pivoted to the connection and so located as to be engaged by the projecrear end of the lever.

2. A cotton chopper comprising a frame, an axle journaled on the frame, a ground wheel secured to the axle, a rotatable member secured to the axle and having cam notches in its periphery,

the rotatable member being supplied with pro- 7 jections, a lever, a fulcrum carrying the lever intermediate its ends on the frame for vertical swinging movement, the lever being provided at its forward end with a part which rides on the periphery of the rotatable member and enters the cam notches, a connection having its upper end pivoted to the lever to'the rear of the fulcrum, a shoulder piece carried by the connection and so located as to be engaged by the projections, a soilengaging means, and mechanism for connecting the soil-engaging means with the rear end of the lever, the lever being resilient to secure a proper timing in the operation of the lever, without an accurate location of the projections with respect to the cam notches.

3. A cotton chopper comprising a frame, an axle journaled on the frame, a ground wheel secured to the axle, a disk secured to the axle, a ring having projections, means for securing the ring to the disk detachably, the disk having an opening through which the axle may pass when the ring is detached from the disk, thereby permitting one ring to 'be substituted for another, the disk having a part which fills the opening at the periphery of the ring, thereby making the periphery of the ring continuous, the ring having cam notches in its periphery and being provided with projections, a lever, a fulcrum carrying the lever intermediate its ends on the frame, the lever being provided at its forward end with a part which rides on the periphery of the ring and en:

ters the cam notches, means carried by the lever and engageable by the projections to impart vertical swinging movement to the lever, and soilengaging means connected to the rear end of the lever.

4. A cotton chopper comprising a frame, an axle journaled on the frame, a ground wheel connected to the axle, a standard mounted for vertical movement on the frame, means driven by the axle for imparting vertical reciprocation to the standard, a first soil-engaging element connected I 'to the standard, a depending bracket forming part of the frame, a cross head pivoted to the bracket for up and down swinging movement,

rearwardly diverging beams pivoted to the cross head for up and down swinging movement, means under the control of an operator for swinging the beams upwardly and downwardly for adjustment, second soil-engaging elements carried by the beams and located to the rear of the first soil-engaging element, third soil-engaging elements located between the second soil-engaging elements and the'first soil-engaging element, means for mounting the third soil-engaging elements on the cross head for lateral swinging movement, and means under the control of an operator for imparting lateral swinging movement to the third soil-engaging elements.

OVID PULLEN. 

